History WhatYouAreInTheDark / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': When the beast [[Characters/AmphibiaAnneBoonchuy Anne Boonchuy]] and Sprig are being wary of draws near, Anne's first instinct is to run away while Sprig is still trapped in her... trap. She ''could'' have left him to be eaten by the beast, but she eventually comes back and rescues him from the trap before the beast gets them.

* In "WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel"'s first season, Angel protects Nifty from the predatory Valentino... all without knowing that ''Heaven is watching him in this moment.'' An unusual case where the individual involved is ''not'' in the dark, but has no idea about it.

* Halfway through the last season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderZuko Zuko]] has finally gotten everything he ''said'' he wanted; he's Prince of the Fire Nation again, he's wealthy and respected, he has his father's praise, he even has a girl he loves. Then, [[spoiler:he finds out his father is about to ''kill an entire continent and SaltTheEarth.'' He immediately flees the capitol with nothing but the clothes on his back, throwing himself on the heroes' mercy because he can't abide it, knowing full well that they'd be ''really'' pissed at him by now given all that he's done while fighting for the Fire Nation; he ''[[LiteralMetaphor literally]]'' chased them clear across the world, made a global catastrophe possible that a dear friend of the heroes had to make a HeroicSacrifice to stop, then threw their previous offer of redemption in their face and ''got TheMessiah killed'' ([[BackFromTheDead temporarily]]). [[JustForPun Aang and the Gaang]] are not ''too'' harsh on him; they simply throw him out again and ignore him until he helps save them from an assassin... that he hired earlier]]. [[HeroWithAnFInGood Yeah]].

* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Gumball Watterson]] falls into this trope after he ejects [[TragicVillain Rob]] into The Void in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' episode "The Rerun". The world is frozen and he has the remote that can fix everything, plus Rob did try to destroy him and everyone he loved. No one would blame him if he left him in there, but he decides that what he did isn't right and he has to save him. So he follows him into The Void. Rob is so touched by this that he ends up saving Gumball in return.
* On ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', Roger invokes this to be a jerk to Steve after Steve, who had repeatedly masturbated with a portrait of a nude woman Roger painted, learned that the portrait was of Hayley (her face was obscured in the painting). Steve freaks out and rationalizes that only he, Roger, and Hayley know, and Roger states that both God and ''Creator/JamesDoohan'' saw, and that the only way to make it right is to kill himself.

* Halfway through the last season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Zuko has finally gotten everything he ''said'' he wanted; he's Prince of the Fire Nation again, he's wealthy and respected, he has his father's praise, he even has a girl he loves. Then, [[spoiler:he finds out his father is about to ''kill an entire continent and SaltTheEarth.'' He immediately flees the capitol with nothing but the clothes on his back, throwing himself on the heroes' mercy because he can't abide it, knowing full well that they'd be ''really'' pissed at him by now given all that he's done while fighting for the Fire Nation; he ''[[LiteralMetaphor literally]]'' chased them clear across the world, made a global catastrophe possible that a dear friend of the heroes had to make a HeroicSacrifice to stop, then threw their previous offer of redemption in their face and ''got TheMessiah killed'' ([[BackFromTheDead temporarily]]). [[JustForPun Aang and the Gaang]] are not ''too'' harsh on him; they simply throw him out again and ignore him until he helps save them from an assassin... that he hired earlier]]. [[HeroWithAnFInGood Yeah]].

** In the pilot, Leela fell into Fry's old cryonic tube while trying to give him his career chip; even though he just met her and has no reason to specifically think well of her, Fry resets the dial from a thousand years to five minutes.
** In "The Inhuman Torch", Bender is accused of starting fires in order to put them out and look like a hero, but it was actually started by a fire creature from the sun (whom Bender names Flamo). In order to keep Flamo from burning the Earth into a small star, Bender takes it to the Arctic Circle, where no one will find him, know about the fate he spared them from, and most importantly, [[HiddenHeartOfGold he won't be hailed as a hero.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' gives us Helga Pataki, who's ostensibly a bully. However, in the Christmas episode, she gives up a pair of boots (that she wanted more than anything, and that her mother said "was the last pair in the city" and waited in line all day for them), to a man in exchange for him helping track down the daughter of Mr. Hyunh for Arnold. And Arnold has [[TheGreatestStoryNeverTold no idea it was her, no one knows she was the one who did it.]]

*** That was definitely a BatmanGambit. Superman had been struggling throughout the arc with the actions of his alternate universe counterpart, while also dealng with the fallout of having been mind-controlled by Darkseid just before the start of the show (around the end of Superman the Animated series). Batman wanted to give Superman the chance to affirm his character. With the opportunity, Supes shows just how strong he truly is.

** Lisa has one in "Lost Verizon". [[ItMakesSenseInContext Long story short]], the family believes Bart is running away and follow him by tracking the [=GPS=] chip in Bart's new cellphone. While on her lonesome, Lisa finds out that the [=GPS=] chip is actually tied to the leg of a bird and Bart just sent them on a wild goose chase. When she looks up what species the bird is, Lisa finds out that this specific bird is going to Machu Picchu, her dream vacation that the family can't afford. Lisa falls to temptation and lets the bird go so the family can continue to chase it.
** Parodied in "The Cartridge Family". Homer brings his gun into the Kwik-E-Mart, which causes Apu to believe that he is going to rob him. He denies this, but then fantasizes what life would be like if he did rob the store (which ''somehow'' [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment leads him to become a State senator, sitting in a rocking chair and sporting a monocle, no less, and for Marge to be a go-go dancer as a 60s-inspired jaunty tune nonsensically plays]]). Just when Homer does decide he'll rob Apu, he's already back in his car, eating a hot dog he just bought.

** Catra could have kicked Hordak into the lava pit out of self-defense, but she kicks him to the opposite side instead.[[spoiler: She also promises the reconditioned Hordak that she won't tell anyone he remembered her name. [[AllForNothing Too bad she forgot that Horde Prime was watching them telepathically.]]]]
** Shadow Weaver had the chance to absorb the Heart of Etheria, but [[spoiler: preferred to sacrifice herself to save Catra and Adora. Proably the Heart would destroy her, since Adora was the only one whose body could stand its energy, since she was a First One; but still, for a former addicted to magic like Shadow Weaver, it takes a lot of effort to avoid the temptation.]]
** [[spoiler: Hordak could have abandoned baby Adora where he found her, and nobody would know. He took her to the Fright Zone.]] He also raised Imp as a sort of pet/roomate. Since Imp was one of his failed attempts of cloning a new body thus quite umperfect, allowing him to live is against everything Hordak was taught.
** Entrapta lampshades this in "Signals":''"I told Catra I wouldn’t go into Hordak’s lab... but, if she never finds out, does it count? I could just pop in, grab the tool and POP OUT! Nobody would ever know. But I would know. I shouldn’t do it. Or should I? No, I shouldn’t."'' (a few minutes later, in Hordak’s lab)''"A six-headed hexdriver!"''
** By other turn, she takes care of Hordak when he falls unconscious, which is more than any of his subordinates would ever do for him.

* The ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' special [[Recap/StevenUniverseS3E20Bismuth "Bismuth"]] was this for Steven. After defending himself from [[spoiler:Bismuth]] for refusing to use the Breaking Point or letting her use it, Steven promises to tell the Gems what happened to her. [[spoiler:His mother Rose Quartz failed this test when the same thing happened to her, choosing to hide Bismuth away for thousands of years to protect her cause and ensure peace instead. Bismuth tearfully admits that this makes Steven a better person than his mother ever was.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': In "Rock Bottom", Starscream manages to barely escape from a collapsing cave, leaving his leader Megatron behind. [[TropeNamer Being]] TheStarscream, of course, he tries to seize the opportunity to take over the Decepticons in Megatron's abscence... Only to realize that, if Megatron were actually to survive, consequences for him would be catastrophic ''at best''. What's interesting to note is that, while his resolve to dig his way back into the cave and find his hated superior seems positive, he's only doing so out of complete selfishness.

** Parodied in "The Cartridge Family". Homer brings his gun into the Kwik-E-Mart, which causes Apu to believe that he is going to rob him. He denies this, but then fantasizes what life would be like if he did rob the store (which ''somehow'' [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment leads him to become a State senator, sitting in a rocking chair and sporting a monocle, no less, and for Marge to be a go-go dancer as a 60s-inspired jaunty tune nonsensically plays]]). Just when Homer does decide he'll rob Apu, he's already back in his car, eating the sandwich he just bought.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks: A Chipmunk Christmas'', Alvin happens to overhear Tommy's mother and sister discussing the Golden Echo Harmonica, and how if Tommy had it, it might make him feel better. Alvin could quite easily ignore it and go about his life, but instead he chooses to go to Tommy's house and hand over his ''own'' harmonica, just to make Tommy feel better.

* Wheeler in ''Westernanimation/{{Captain Planet| and the Planeteers}}'' is constantly hitting on [[{{Tsundere}} Linka]] and usually gets shut down. In "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS2E1MindPollution Mind Pollution]]", Linka gets addicted to drugs and, while high, flirts with him, asking him to try the drug "for her." They're alone at the moment, except for Linka's cousin, who's as addled as she is. Wheeler doesn't even consider taking advantage - indeed, he's disgusted by what has happened to her and urges her to get clean. For all his harassment, he still wants her to respond to him out of her own free will and unclouded mind.

* Wheeler in ''Westernanimation/{{Captain Planet| and the Planeteers}}'' is constantly hitting on Linka and getting shut down. In "Mind Pollution", Linka gets addicted to drugs and, while high, is actually interested in him. Wheeler doesn't even consider taking advantage - indeed, he's disgusted by what has happened to her and urges her to get clean. For all his harassment, he still wants her to respond to him out of her own free will and unclouded mind.

** Jenny generally [[PunchClockHero considers her role as superhero a chore]], and [[IJustWantToBeNormal wants to have a regular teenager's social life]]. In the MadeForTVMovie ''Escape From Cluster Prime'', she loses her memory, along with most of her powers, and starts living on a planet of robots -- essentially the life she'd always asked for. Yet Jenny ''still'' decides to become a superhero when she sees people who need help, even though she no longer has anyone pressuring her into it (and even becomes a wanted vigilante).

* Janet of ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'' ''fails'' this trope when she's alone in a room save for a bug (actually Miss Frizzle's class aboard the shrunken bus) and decides to gleefully sabotage the class's entry for a scent competition instead of playing fair. ''No one'' is happy with her and [[FanNickname the Frizz Kids]] beating her and subtly calling her out is perfectly LaserGuidedKarma.

** Shadow Weaver had the chance to absorb the Heart of Etheria, but [[spoiler: preferred to sacrifice herself to save Catra and Adora. Proably the Heart would destroy her, since Adora was the only one whose body could stand its energy, since she was a First One; but still, for a former addicted to magic like Shadow Weaver, it takes a lot of effort to avoid the temptation and thus would be an abomination according to everything Hordak was taught.]]
** [[spoiler: Hordak could have abandoned baby Adora where he found her, and nobody would know. He took her to the Fright Zone. He also raised Imp as a sort of pet/roomate, although Imp was one of his failed attempts of cloning a new body for himself.]]

** Catra could have kicked Hordak into the lava pit out of self-defense, but she kicks him to the opposite side instead.[[spoiler: She also promises the reconditioned Hordak that she won't tell anyone he remembered her name. [[AllForNothing Too bad she didn't remember that Horde Prime was watching them through Hordak's mind.]]]]
** Shadow Weaver had the chance to absorb the Heart of Etheria, but [[spoiler: preferred to sacrifice herself to save Catra and Adora. Proably the Heart would destroy her, since Adora was the only one whose body could stand its energy, since she was a First One; but still, for a former addicted to magic like Shadow Weaver, it takes a lot of effort to avoid the temptation.]]
** [[spoiler: Hordak could have abandoned baby Adora where he found her and nobody would know. He took her to the Fright Zone. He also allowed Imp to live, although Imp was one of his failed atempts of cloning a new body for himself.]]
** ->'''Entrapta in "Signals"''':''"I told Catra I wouldn’t go into Hordak’s lab... but, if she never finds out, does it count? I could just pop in, grab the tool and POP OUT! Nobody would ever know. But I would know. I shouldn’t do it. Or should I? No, I shouldn’t."'' (a few minutes later, in Hordak’s lab)''"A six-headed hexdriver!"''

** -->'''Entrapta in "Signals"''':''"I told Catra I wouldn’t go into Hordak’s lab... but, if she never finds out, does it count? I could just pop in, grab the tool and POP OUT! Nobody would ever know. But I would know. I shouldn’t do it. Or should I? No, I shouldn’t."'' (a few minutes later, in Hordak’s lab)''"A six-headed hexdriver!"''

* Except Horde Prime, all the villains of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' have this moment at least once.

** [[spoiler: Hordak could have abandoned baby Adora where he found her and nobody would know. He took her to the Fright Zone.]]

* Except Horde Prime, all the villains of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' have this moment at least once. Catra could have kicked Hordak into the lava pit out of self-defense; instead, she kicks him to the opposite side.

* Except Horde Prime, all the villains of ''Western/Animation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' have this, at least once. Catra could have kicked Hordak into the lava pit out of self-defense; instead, she kicks him to the opposite side.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "A Pal For Gary", Gary has every reason to just abandon [=SpongeBob=] to his fate after the way [=SpongeBob=] has treated him. He instead chooses to come to the rescue, not hesitating for even a second.